Fuse for signals or projectiles



Oct. 12 1926.

S. WlLEY FUSE FOR SIGNALS OR PROJECTILES Filed June 30, 1924 nvvszvroze5 mual W115 BY M ATTORN y Patented Oct. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES SAMUEL WILEY, OF METUGHEN, NEV] JERSEY.

FUSE FOR SIGNALS OR PROJECTILES.

Application filed June 39, 1924. Serial No. 723,368.

(GRANTED UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1883; 22 STAT. L. 625.)

The invention described herein may be used by the Government, or any ofits officers or employees in prosecution of work for the Government, orby any other person in the United States, without payment to me of anyroyalty thereon, in accordance with the act of March 3, 1883.

The subject of this invention is a fuse for signals or projectiles.

At the present time signal cartridges, flares and projectiles of thegrenade type are used in conjunction with a variety of weapons, eachadaptation, however, necessitating theprovision of .a special fuse inthe cartridge or projectile. There are now in use several types ofspecial pyrotechnic and grenade guns, various attachments for theservice rifle to accommodate projectiles of the above description, and,also, certain combinations of rifles which direct missiles eitherthrough the barrel or through the stock.

The aim of my invention is to facilitate the preparation and manufactureof a stand ard fuse which can be used equally well with signals andprojectiles irrespective of the weapon employed to propel them.

I, also, aim to provide a fuse applicable to rifle grenades, which willeliminate the necessity of forming a bullet tube in the center of thegrenade and dispense with the use of a live cartridge for expelling thegrenade.

Although I disclose modifications of breech cap, I do not limit myselfto the structures shown, as any form of the breech cap would by slightalteration function with different classes of dischargers.

lVhile in the accompanying drawings the application of the fuse is shownwith a signal cart-ridge adapted to be fired from different types ofguns, I wish to point out that the fuse may likewise be employed withvarious types of grenades, shells, and the like.

To these and other ends my invention consists in the construction,arrangement, and combination of elements, described hereinafter andpointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

A practical embodiment of my lnventlon is illustrated in theaccompanying drawin s, in which,

1 is a view in elevation showing the signal cartridge supplied with aspecial cartridge and clip;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a signal cartridge equippedwith a breech cap for use with a tromblon (grenade discharger) attachedto the muzzle of a rifle; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the front end closure disc;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing the .method of forming the breech capfor use with a tromblon carried in the stock of the rifle; and

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the breech cap for use with a specialgun.

Referring to the drawings by numerals end of the shell.

The fuse body is formed with a plurality of concentric chambersextending equal distances within the housing and spaced .7

by an inner wall 15 and an intermediate wall 16 to provide a centralchamber 17, an intermediate chamber 18 andv an outer chamber 19 definedby an outer wall 20.

The inner wall 15 is terminated short of the intermediate wall 16 toaccommodate a priming element as shown in Figure 2. The chambers are incommunication through ports 21 which may be drilled from the side of thehousing, the aperture formed in the outermost wall 20 being closed by aplug 22.

The forward portion of the fuse body is centrally chambered as at 23 andis in communication with the intermediate chamber 18 through a port 24.

In fabricating the fuse body a powder pellet 25 is disposed the centralchamber 17 and a time train ring 26 disposed in the intermediate chamberand heir by a clay filler 27. A powder charge 28 and pellet 28constituting the expelling or the explosive charge are respectivelyenclosed in the chambers 19 and 23.

In the present disclosure, I have equipped the fuse with a breech capmodified for adaptation to the various means employed to propel or expelthe cartridge, but if desirable any form of the breech cap shown can beslightly altered to function with all classes of dischargers.

In the form shown in Figure 2 especially adapted for use with a muzzletromblon the breech closure comprises a cap 29 of a diameter slightlylarger than the fuse body to fitover the shell and fuse body and restupon the outer and intermediate walls forming the chambers. A primingcap 30 disposed in the central chamber 17 may be held in place by thebreech cap, as shown, or it may be disposed in an aperture in the breechcap, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. The explosion of a blank cartridge 31from the barrel of a gun causes the expulsion of the signal shell and atthe same time detonates "the cap 30 which ignites the powder pellet 25and transmits the flame to the time ring 26 which is consumed duringflight of the signal shell and after a predetermined interval of timecommunicates the flame to the expelling charge 28' through the port 24to expel the contents of the shell. blank cartridge 31 is convenientlycarried by a clip 32 embracing the shell and is issued therewith.

The breech cap shown in Figure 6 adapted for use with a stock tromblon(as shown in Patent No. 1,479,122) is of diameter less than the fusebody and being of a resilient metal is forced in the outer chamber 19against the outer walls 20. The base of the breech cap is formed with acentral apertured depression 33 to carry the priming cap30, partiallyinserted in the central chamber 17, and to conform to the shape of thefiring mechanism carried in the stock of the gun. The base of the :capis spaced from the fuse body and encloses theexplosive charge 28 forexpelling the signal shell, ignitable throughthe time ring 26 and pellet,25 when a firing pin (not shown) primes the primer 30. I

In the form of breech cap shown in Figure 7 adapted for use with'aspecial gun, the cap is crimped into't-he indentures 11 V, of the shell10 after assembly as shown at 34. The cap is turned to form a rim 35 toengage a complementary groove in the breech end of a gun barrel and isprovided with crimpedradlalribs 36 andis apertured for the reception ofthe primer cap 30. The base of the cap is spaced from the fuse body toconfine theenplosive charge 28 which'surrounds the lower portion ofthelcap.

Carried within the shell and spaced from The the fuse body by acentrally apertured felt pad 37 are quadri-cylindrical signal cases 38containing an illuminating Or signalling composition 39. The rear end ofeach case is closed by a drum-head 40, preferably made of linen clothand carrying a priming element 41. The four signalling cases are adaptedto form a chain when suspended from a parachute 42 by an aluminum ormetal cord 43 which at regular intervals is looped in each signal case38 and wedged in place by a plug 44 glued to the signal case 38 and thecord. The plugs 44 also protect the parachute from the flame of theilluminating or signal composition.

The forward end of the shell 10 is closed by a paper or cork disc 45carried by a rimmed identification cap 46 having raised letters 47.

hen the flame from the primer is transmitted to the expelling charge 28as previously "described, the resultant. explosion, cushioned by thefelt pad 87, expels the signal cases 38, parachute 42 and closurecap 46and simultaneously ignites the priming element 41 which in turn lightsthe illuminating or signal composition 39.

If desired, the shell may be made to "con stitute a grenade enclosing anexplosive charge or it may contain incendiary, gas

or smoke compositions.

While in the foregoing there has been illustrated and described suchcombination and arrangement of elements as constitute the preferredembodimentof my invention, it is nevertheless desired to emphasize thefact that interpretation of the invention shouldonly be conclusive whenmade in the light of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. .A. projectile embodying a shell,a fuse carried by the shell, abreech cap carried by the fuse, an eXpellable member disposed within theshell, means carried in one portion of the fuse for expelling theprojectile from a discharger, means carried in the opposite portionofthe fuse for expelling the expellable member from the shell, cushioningmeans interposed between the last mentioned. means and the expellable.member, and means for igniting the expelling means.

2. A projectile embodying a shell, a fuse carried by the shell, a breechcap carried by the fuse, an expellable member disposed within theshell,.means carried in one portion of the fuse for expelling thepro]ect1le from a discharger, means carried 1n the opposite portion ofthe fuse for expelling the expellable member from the shell, and nceansfor igniting the expelling means.

A fuse embodying a cylindrical fuse body, one portion of which is formedwith concentric chambers of even depth, said chambers bein incommunication through horizontally cisposed ports, a chamber formed inthe opposite portion of the fuse body, said body formed with a port forestzzblishing con'nnunication between the oppositely disposed chambers.

1-. A fuse embodying a cylindrical fuse body formed with concentricchambers, combustible elements disposed in the inner and outer chambers,a time fuse disposed in the intermediate chamber and ignitible by eitherof the combustible elements, a breech cap carried by the fuse body, anda primingcap engageable by the breech cap and adapted to ignite thecombustible elements.

5. A fuse embodying a cylindrical fuse body formed with concentricchambers, combustible elements disposed in the inner and outer chambers,a time fuse disposed in the intermediate chamber and ignitible by eitherof the combustible elements, and means for igniting the combustibleelements.

6. A fuse embodying a cylindrical fuse body, one portion of which isformed with a central intermediate and outer chamber, a powder pelletdisposed in the central chamber, a time fuse disposed in theintermediate chamber, an explosive charge disposed in the outer chamber,a chamber formed in the opposite portion of the fuse body, and anexplosive charge disposed in said chamher.

7. A fuse embodying a fuse body, formed with means for carrying an,expelling charge in each end, and further formed with means for carryinga priming cap, a powder pellet, and a time fuse, all of said means beingin communication.

8. Afuse embodying a fuse body formed with means for carrying anexpelling charge in each end, and further formed with means for carryinga priming cap, a powder pellet, and a time fuse.

9. A fuse including a fuse body formed with a plurality of concentricchambers opening into one face thereof, the wall defining the centralchamber terminated short of said face, and a primer within the controlchamber and seated on the rim of said well.

10. A fuse embodying a fuse body formed with a plurality of concentriccommunicating chambers opening into one face thereof, and an oppositelydisposed chamher in communication with one of the concentric chambersand opening into the opposite face of the body.

11. A fuse embodying a fuse body formed with means whereby differentforms of breech caps may be secured thereto.

12. A fuse body formed with concentric walls whereby different forms ofbreech caps may be secured thereto.

SAMUEL WVILEY.

